


are you scared to know the truth?

by pseudocordelia



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Confessions, M/M, Reunions, Single Parents, niles fall shipping celebration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-17 20:22:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16103102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pseudocordelia/pseuds/pseudocordelia
Summary: "Why would you listen to such a thing as "fate"?"-Niles meets Owain again after decades of separation. So much has changed; but he still wants to be with him.





	are you scared to know the truth?

**Author's Note:**

> why are there separate characters tags for Odin and Owain? Because... they're the same dude.
> 
> This is for both day 3's prompt "tall tales" and day 4's prompt "memories". I couldn't write anything on day 3 as I was busy with schoolwork.

Niles’ loved Owain’s stories; although he would be the last to admit it. He teased him for how unrealistic this land of “Nohr” was; yet he always listened when Owain told him about his plans for where the story was going. He even helped him proofread his drafts.

 

But that was back in high school. Niles believed nothing lasted forever; and he was right. Owain moved back home to live with his mother.

Niles never got to find out if the heroes defeated the fell dragon. (He never got to tell him how he felt, either.)

 

-

 

Nina loved to read. Niles was amazed that at nine-years-old she could read books meant for people double her age. Of course he’s going to take her to the signing event at a local bookstore; how couldn’t he? She did say please. Even if she was an absolute brat sometimes, Niles was proud of her.

The name “Odin Dark” did sound familiar though; but Niles wasn’t the type of person to get his hopes up.

But then he sees his face, from the back of the line, as he holds his daughter’s hand. “I know him.”

Nina laughed. “No you don’t. He’s like, way cooler than you.”

He smirked; and just simply waited. He wished he got a photo of the look on Nina’s face when her favourite author; her idol, looked up at her father, and gasped, “N-Niles!”

There’s so much he wants to say; but there is at least a dozen people waiting behind him. And for once, Nina probably won’t interrupt him. She seems a bit shell shocked; and just put her novel on the table in front of her..

“I didn’t realise _you_ were Odin Dark… my daughter Nina loves your books.” He wanted to talk about how he’s sorry for never contacting him; that he missed him. Owain looked a bit amazed.

“Thank you, Nina!” He signed the book quickly, writing _Thank you for your support, Nina!_ and adding a little love heart as well. “Niles, can you stay after this...? I’m really glad to see you again.”

He nods and gets out of the way. The people behind him seem to have gotten impatient.

 

-

 

They ended up at the nearby park. Niles remembered sitting on the swings, talking about sweet nothings in the middle of the night. He gave Nina ten dollars to go get something from the ice cream shop across the street; when in reality, he just wanted to be alone with Owain.

“Your daughter looks just like you. She’s… adorable.”

“Are you calling me adorable as well? I’m flattered. Trust me though, if you had to raise her, you’d think she was the opposite.”

“I… are you married?” Owain was blushing. Niles remembers all the times he made him blush before. He’d tease him, compliment him, try his best to turn everything Owain said to him into something lewd. He couldn’t just be outright with his feelings; he feared rejection. So instead he flirted. He wanted Owain to fall in love with him. He wanted Owain to confess to him; because he was too cowardly to do it himself. That day never came; Owain left to go home. But that was over a decade ago. Niles had gone through so much since then. He had a daughter; he had had a wife. Back then Owain was skinny nerd with braces, now he’s ripped and a best-selling author. Niles had feelings from years ago coming back to the surface.

“I was. She’s gone now.” He had already lost one love; he might as well try with Owain before he lost another. (He missed Setsuna. He still wore his ring. He married her because he wanted to protect her. She was always daydreaming; she always had not a worry in the world. He wanted to make a family with her; to have a life without a worry in the world. He still loved her. She was the mother of his child. She seemed so unaware of what a terrible place the world was; he wanted to protect her, but at the same time, he didn’t want to overstep his boundaries. It’s not like he could go with her everywhere. He stilled blamed himself for what happened. Her family did, anyway; Nina’s grandparents refused to visit her. She was only two; she didn’t understand why her mommy wouldn’t come home. He hated himself for what happened; yet tried to do his best for his daughter’s sake.)

  
Owain was silent for a few seconds. Niles remembered him not being able to shut up in the past; so this was nice. Just sitting next to him. “I’m… sorry. So much has changed since high school, but I was also so excited to see you. I never thought I’d see you again, you know?”   
“Then why’d you come back here, if not to see me?” Niles let out a small chuckle.

“I have many followers here! And well… do you believe in fate?”

He wonders. If fate exists; it means his actions mean nothing. It means he could’ve done nothing to stop Setsuna dying. It means it wasn’t his fault, that it would’ve happened anyway - but at the same time, it means nothing could’ve been done.

“As if you would. I used to admire the way you wouldn’t listen to anyone but yourself; you were incorrigible. No matter how hard life got, you’d still talk of your uncontrollable aching blood and whatever… why would you listen to such a thing as ate?”

“Because if it did exist, it bought me back to you. Uhh… did you mean everything you said in high school?”

“Like what?”  
“Like how when I would talk about stuff of legends you’d say that my face is the stuff of legends… all the times you called me sexy. How when I asked how my clothes looked you’d say I’d look better with nothing on at all.”

Now Niles was blushing too. He was an unashamed flirt; but hearing his nonsense repeated back to him was just embarrassing.

“Yes. I wanted to be with you back then… but that was over a decade ago. I have a daughter, a job, and you live so far away.” Niles wasn’t sure if he wanted to be so open about his feelings; but he had a lot more regrets about things he didn’t say than things he did. He did feel awkward about things escalating so quickly. “I’ve already lost someone I already loved. But… I do want to be with you.”

“I… I do too!” Owain’s yell could probably be heard from miles away. “I have money saved. I can take the train here. Fate will bring us together! And if it wills otherwise, we can change it!”

Niles didn’t say anything. He just put his hand atop of Owain’s.

 

-

 

Nina looked confused but happy when she came back. Niles was glad for once at how long it took her to choose her flavours.

She talked to Owain so enthusiastically; asking him all about his stories and how he wrote them and what gave him ideas.

Imagine the look on her face when Owain said Niles helped him in high school. Niles definitely was going to pinch one of Nina’s books and read it, now that he knew the true identity of “Odin Dark”.

Maybe this would work out…

-

They exchanged numbers. Niles loved being able to call him; being able to tell him anything whenever he wanted. He told Owain about all the things he wanted to do in the past; Owain told him that it wasn’t too late. That they could do things now.

Niles was sleeping better; he wasn’t having nightmares about Setsuna anymore. Even Nina noticed a change in his mood. He was more… enthusiastic.

He couldn’t wait for next Sunday. Nina was going to stay with her godfather Leo.

He and Owain were going to do so many things they didn’t do before.

Niles no longer sighed about memories of the past.

**Author's Note:**

> If you noticed any spelling mistakes, typos or grammatical errors, please point them out in the comments! Thank you for reading <3


End file.
